Breakdancing, also known as breaking, b-boying, or b-girling, is an athletic style of street dance that originated from the African American and later Puerto Rican communities in New York City. It is closely attributed to the birth of hip-hop, as DJs developed rhythmic breaks for dancers. The dance form has since expanded globally, with an array of organizations and independent competitions supporting its growth.

Breaking is largely improvisational, made up of variations of “standard” moves or steps, including freezes, powermoves, downrock, and toprock. The emphasis is on energy, movement, creativity, humor, and an element of danger. It is meant to convey the rough world of the city streets from which it is said to have sprung.

Although the term "breakdance" is frequently used to refer to the dance in popular culture and in the mainstream entertainment industry, "b-boying" and "breaking" were the original terms and are preferred by the majority of the pioneers and most notable practitioners. Some enthusiasts consider "breakdancing" an ignorant, and even pejorative, term, due to the medias exploitation of the art form, while others use it to derogatorily refer to studio-trained dancers that can perform the moves but who do not live a "b-boy lifestyle".

Breaking had an enormous influence on modern dance styles, and offshoots of it were performed in many music and especially rap videos as well as in live concerts by popular artists such as Britney Spears. The mainstreaming of the genre was never more clearly demonstrated than in 2004, when break-dancers were invited to perform in the Vatican before Pope John Paul II. Breaking will now be featured as an Olympic sport, making its debut in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.